Terrorism: the use or threatened use of force designed to bring about political change. Domestic Terrorist Groups - Pauline Weisman
Klu Klux Klan
Goals/Motives: white supremacy, anti-immigration, anti-communism, and white nationalism
Event: August 2007, North Georgia White Knight member Daniel James Schertz pleaded guilty to building pipe bombs designed to blow up buses carrying Mexican and Haitian migrant workers from Tennessee to Florida.
Why still a threat? Ever since civil war, they have been using arson, threats, violence and murder to further their beliefs.
ELF – Environmental Liberation Front
Goals/Motives: it is an anonymous group of individuals that use sabotage and guerilla warfare to stop exploitation and destruction of environment.
Event: In early September 2009, ELF admitted setting fire to a US forest service laboratory in Pennsylvania. The fire destroyed a 70 year old research facility and caused an additional $700,000 worth of damage.
Why still a threat? FBI has credited to eco terrorism 300 million in property damage and a majority of states have introduced laws aimed at these activities.
Kevin Harpham
Goals/Motives: White Supremacy and white nationalism
Event: Planted a backpack bomb along the planned route of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in downtown Spokane, Washington (in January 17,2011).
Why still a threat? He faces charges of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and possession of an unregistered explosive device, and if convicted could face life in prison.
Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez
Motive/Goals: To kill President Obama who he believed was the anti-Christ and the Devil. Hernandez believed he was Jesus.
Event: Accused of firing rifle shots at the White House and drove from Idaho to Washington in a Honda Accord to kill President Obama
Why still a threat? Obama is still President
Andrew Joseph Stack III
Motive/Goals: Grievance against the government of the US as well as other facets of the country such as bailout of financial institutions, politicians in general, conglomerate companies of General Motors, Enron and Arthur Andersen, labor unions, drug and health care insurance companies, and the Catholic Church.
Event: On February 18,2010 Andrew Joseph Stack III flew his airplane into the IRS building in Austin TX killing one other person and injuring many more in an act of lone wolf terrorism.
Why still a threat? Dangerous individual with an airplane
International Terrorist Groups - Dina Albukhary 1. Continuity Irish Republican Army
Goals: wants to bring about a reunited Ireland
Event: In 2011, the CIRA were blamed for hijacking vehicles and firing shots at a police patrol disturbance
Why still a threat? They are currently active, and Ireland isn’t fully united yet.
2. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia
Goals/Motives: It claims to represent the rural poor in a struggle against Columbia’s wealthier classes
Event: In 2007, 11 out of 12 provincial deputies that had been captured by the RAFC had been killed. The RAFC claims that they had been hit in a cross-fire by an anonymous military group
Why still a threat? There will always be the poor rural class and there will always be tensions between the two classes
3. Shining Path
1. Goals/Motives: To re-instate the bourgeois democracy into "New Democracy" in Peru
2. Event: In 2008, the rebels killed 4 policemen by using automatic handguns and grenades
3. Why still a threat? They have been causing a huge amount of turmoil due to their disagreement in the government rule 4.Communist Party of Philippines/New People's Army
1. Goals/Motives: To take 'revolutionary taxes' from business owners
2. Event: In 2011, there were attacks placed on 3 large scale mining corporations
3. Why still a threat? There have been constant attacks and they are environmentally destructive as well 5. Abu-Sayyaf Group
1. Goals/Motives: An extremist Muslim group in the Philippines wanting to gain independence from the country
2. Event: In 2011, there was a soldier killed when there was a soldier killed when the government forces clashed with the Abu Sayyad group.
3. Why still a threat? They have not yet gained independence from the Philippines
Why has America been the target of so much terrorism? -Michelle Turner The status of the United States in the World makes it a prime target for terrorism. One of the major goals of any terrorists attack is the amount of media attention that can be gained. With huge media centers scattered across the country, an attack anywhere in the US is guaranteed to draw huge media attention. In many ways the US presents an open target to terrorists and other criminals. And while the government continues to search for ways to make it harder for criminals to get inside the country, it's almost impossible to close every method of entry. Many cities in the US offer attractive targets to terrorists. All of which would create panic during the attack, and could present great difficulties for thousands, perhaps millions of citizens and the government in the aftermath of the attack. And the media will be right there relaying the news worldwide in a matter of minutes and for days and months to come. In the minds of Muslim extremists, the US is the Great Satan and should be brought to its knees at any cost. Striking targets inside US borders allow terrorists organizations to spread their message on a scale not found in most nations. Successful attacks within US borders allows terrorists to strengthen their hold in other parts of the world. Because really, if the US can't prevent attacks on its cities, what country can? And by hitting targets in the US, terrorists can also cause damage to the rest of the world. The US is definitely one of the most tempting targets of terrorism.Poverty, repression, and humiliation to "they hate our values,'" is another reason the United States might be targeted. The impact religion has on spawning terrorist organizations…
Buddhists generally believe that violence and killing is wrong. Although this is true, Buddist monks have been known to encouraged violence or have initiated it. One example is when some Sinhala Buddhist groups have committed and encouraged violence against local Christians and Tamils.
Like those of Judaisim and Christianity, Islam's texts offer both peaceful and warring messages. Many believe Islam's first terrorists came about it the 11th century.The members of a Shiite sect assassinated their Saljuq enemies. In the late 20th century, groups motivated by religious and nationalist goals committed attacks and suicide bombings in Israel.In the early 21st century, al-Qaeda ordered attacks on targets in Europe and the United States.
Judaism's central tenets involve a respect for life's sanctity, but like other religions, its texts can be used to justify violence.
Hinduism valorizes non-violence as a virtue, but advocates war when it is necessary in the face of injustice. A fellow Hindu assassinated Mohandas Ghandi, whose non-violent resistance helped bring about Indian independence, in 1948. Violence between Hindus and Muslims in India has been endemic since then.
Christianity's teachings, like those of other religions, contain messages of love and peace, and those that can be used to symbolize violence is wrong.
All these examples, and there are many, many more, indicate that religiously motivated terrorists experience their violent commitments as a form of spiritual striving: they act in the name of the divine, their goals reflect an ultimate purpose and a concern with ethics, they seek to experience a divine reality in their actions; by giving themselves to a greater cause, they transcend the self and seek an integration with a greater reality. As much as those outside their movements may regard them as evil and criminal, in their eyes through violence and killing they are seeking the highest moral and spiritual goods-the sacred community, the purification of the human race, the kingdom of justice and righteousness, immortality, and union with God. Love of and duty to family must not stand in the way of duty to God or to the sacred land. It is no wonder that research finds that counterterrorism interventions that threaten or seek to bargain with religiously motivated terrorists only make them angrier; asking someone to trade their ultimate values for financial gain or greater political power is universally understood as the voice of the devil.
Conclusion - Group Answer
We believe that the majority of those targeting us are outside of our borders. This is because although we do have terrorists within our borders, the more violent attacks come from groups not in our border.
We don’t think they have any legitimate reason because it is usually an act of discrimination or they are biased towards their beliefs.
We don’t think it has a major effect because we think most humans would have the same belief as us – that terrorism is wrong, and killing goes against religions, no matter what the reason is.
Domestic Terrorist Groups - Pauline Weisman
International Terrorist Groups - Dina Albukhary
1. Continuity Irish Republican Army
- Goals: wants to bring about a reunited Ireland
- Event: In 2011, the CIRA were blamed for hijacking vehicles and firing shots at a police patrol disturbance
- Why still a threat? They are currently active, and Ireland isn’t fully united yet.
2. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia- Goals/Motives: It claims to represent the rural poor in a struggle against Columbia’s wealthier classes
- Event: In 2007, 11 out of 12 provincial deputies that had been captured by the RAFC had been killed. The RAFC claims that they had been hit in a cross-fire by an anonymous military group
- Why still a threat? There will always be the poor rural class and there will always be tensions between the two classes
3. Shining Path1. Goals/Motives: To re-instate the bourgeois democracy into "New Democracy" in Peru
2. Event: In 2008, the rebels killed 4 policemen by using automatic handguns and grenades
3. Why still a threat? They have been causing a huge amount of turmoil due to their disagreement in the government rule
4.Communist Party of Philippines/New People's Army
1. Goals/Motives: To take 'revolutionary taxes' from business owners
2. Event: In 2011, there were attacks placed on 3 large scale mining corporations
3. Why still a threat? There have been constant attacks and they are environmentally destructive as well
5. Abu-Sayyaf Group
1. Goals/Motives: An extremist Muslim group in the Philippines wanting to gain independence from the country
2. Event: In 2011, there was a soldier killed when there was a soldier killed when the government forces clashed with the Abu Sayyad group.
3. Why still a threat? They have not yet gained independence from the Philippines
Why has America been the target of so much terrorism? -Michelle Turner The status of the United States in the World makes it a prime target for terrorism. One of the major goals of any terrorists attack is the amount of media attention that can be gained. With huge media centers scattered across the country, an attack anywhere in the US is guaranteed to draw huge media attention. In many ways the US presents an open target to terrorists and other criminals. And while the government continues to search for ways to make it harder for criminals to get inside the country, it's almost impossible to close every method of entry. Many cities in the US offer attractive targets to terrorists. All of which would create panic during the attack, and could present great difficulties for thousands, perhaps millions of citizens and the government in the aftermath of the attack. And the media will be right there relaying the news worldwide in a matter of minutes and for days and months to come. In the minds of Muslim extremists, the US is the Great Satan and should be brought to its knees at any cost. Striking targets inside US borders allow terrorists organizations to spread their message on a scale not found in most nations. Successful attacks within US borders allows terrorists to strengthen their hold in other parts of the world. Because really, if the US can't prevent attacks on its cities, what country can? And by hitting targets in the US, terrorists can also cause damage to the rest of the world. The US is definitely one of the most tempting targets of terrorism.Poverty, repression, and humiliation to "they hate our values,'" is another reason the United States might be targeted.
The impact religion has on spawning terrorist organizations…
- Buddhists generally believe that violence and killing is wrong. Although this is true, Buddist monks have been known to encouraged violence or have initiated it. One example is when some Sinhala Buddhist groups have committed and encouraged violence against local Christians and Tamils.
- Like those of Judaisim and Christianity, Islam's texts offer both peaceful and warring messages. Many believe Islam's first terrorists came about it the 11th century.The members of a Shiite sect assassinated their Saljuq enemies. In the late 20th century, groups motivated by religious and nationalist goals committed attacks and suicide bombings in Israel.In the early 21st century, al-Qaeda ordered attacks on targets in Europe and the United States.
- Judaism's central tenets involve a respect for life's sanctity, but like other religions, its texts can be used to justify violence.
- Hinduism valorizes non-violence as a virtue, but advocates war when it is necessary in the face of injustice. A fellow Hindu assassinated Mohandas Ghandi, whose non-violent resistance helped bring about Indian independence, in 1948. Violence between Hindus and Muslims in India has been endemic since then.
- Christianity's teachings, like those of other religions, contain messages of love and peace, and those that can be used to symbolize violence is wrong.
All these examples, and there are many, many more, indicate that religiously motivated terrorists experience their violent commitments as a form of spiritual striving: they act in the name of the divine, their goals reflect an ultimate purpose and a concern with ethics, they seek to experience a divine reality in their actions; by giving themselves to a greater cause, they transcend the self and seek an integration with a greater reality. As much as those outside their movements may regard them as evil and criminal, in their eyes through violence and killing they are seeking the highest moral and spiritual goods-the sacred community, the purification of the human race, the kingdom of justice and righteousness, immortality, and union with God. Love of and duty to family must not stand in the way of duty to God or to the sacred land. It is no wonder that research finds that counterterrorism interventions that threaten or seek to bargain with religiously motivated terrorists only make them angrier; asking someone to trade their ultimate values for financial gain or greater political power is universally understood as the voice of the devil.Conclusion - Group Answer